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Music

At Harlington School, we aim to provide a well balanced approach to Music education which encompasses a wide range of experiences and styles to cater for the wide diversity of students in the school.

The curriculum is inclusive and all students are encouraged to participate regardless of gender, special educational needs and ethnicity. Throughout Key Stage 3, students are encouraged to explore different cultures, develop their social skills through group and class music-making and reflect on their own feelings and how this can be created in music.

A wide variety of topics are covered, with an emphasis on practical and experiential learning. Pupils will listen to a variety of musical genres, and will work with both traditional and non-traditional notation. All students are encouraged to use their voices as instruments and also given the opportunity to develop skills on keyboard, guitar, tuned and un-tuned percussion and later in the key stage, the opportunity to work with ICT. We are committed to providing a broad range of relevant experiences and as such, use resources and topics from contemporary music and ICT where appropriate.

The department provides extra-curricular opportunities to participate in Choir, Band, Keyboard Orchestra, and GCSE support.
All students are given the opportunity to have extra-curricular instrumental lessons, with funding available for those who would not be able to participate otherwise. GCSE students who have chosen to study Music will also receive a discount.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

All Pupils in Year 7 are taught one lesson of music a week, following the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 programme of study. Through the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appraising, pupils will continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of music. Listening to live and recorded music of many styles and cultures plays an integral part in this development process, and through this, pupils will develop and use musical vocabulary.

The following areas are explored in Year 7 through a wide variety of practical tasks within units of work delivered across the year, and students will work with both traditional and non-traditional notations:
• The Elements of Music
• Ostinato (Rhythm and Melody)
• Musical Cycles (African Drumming, Latin America Music, Gamelan music etc.)

Year 8

All Pupils in Year 8 are taught one lesson of music a week, following the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 programme of study.
In year 8, pupils will continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of music, enhancing their response to music, with an emphasis on using musical vocabulary correctly and confidently.

The following areas are explored in Year 8 through a wide variety of practical tasks within units of work delivered across the year. Each unit of work strengthens and reinforces topics covered in Year 7:
• The Blues
• Film Music
• Minimalism and other 20th Century Music

ASSESSMENT
Students are assessed throughout the topics being studied in terms of their performing, composing and listening skills.

Key Stage 4

GCSE Music

COURSE CONTENT

Students follow the Eduqas specification and the course covers the three components of:
1. Understanding music
2. Performing music
3. Composing music

The performing and composing components are studied throughout the GCSE programme, as are general Music Theory.

Composition techniques are further developed throughout the course. Students will need to meet composition deadlines set by the teacher during the course as well as the final deadline. Students will chose their best work for submission from the work completed throughout the course. Students must submit two compositions by the final controlled assessment deadline, set by the examination board.

Each composition must include:
• An audio recording.
• A completed brief.
• A completed score or commentary.

Component 3 – Listening and contextual understanding

Listening exam (May of Year 11)

Questions based on short musical excerpts drawing on all 4 Areas of Study.